Elbridge j



(No Model.)

E. J. MOORE.

FIRE BSGAPE.

l'Nmzaaiss.

Pat nted 0 17, 1882.

N. PEYERS, Pholo-Lilhognphen Washinglom n c UNTTE STATES ATENT FFTQE.

ELBRIDGE J. MOORE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 266,183, dated October1'7, 1882,

A pplication filed February 9, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELBRIDGE J. MOORE, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFireEscapes, of which the'following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l of the drawings is a front view of the sill portion of thewindow of a building, with a box or case inclosing the fire-escape asone section thereof. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one section mainlyas extended for use, and with other sections in part above and below theextended section, showing the lower partial section as closed, alsoshowing the relation of the sections to the windows of a build ing. Fig.3 is a vertical transverse section or profile of the outside of abuilding in part,

with the box containing a section of the fireescape in position. Fig. 4is a front view, upon an enlarged scale, of my improved folding-ladderfire-escape in part, as partly extended; and Figs. 5 and 6 are views inperspective of one of the jointed sides of the ladder.

This invention relates to fire-escapes for buildings in which foldingladders are used; and it consists in a self'adjusting folding sectionalladder of novel construction. This ladder is designed to be attached toeach story of a building, and is or may be made up ofindependent laddersor ladder-sections that com bined form a continuous ladder extendingfrom roof to pavement, said sections being secured by hooks to a, bar orwindow-sill below and by books under awindow-sill above. Thus applied,the ladder folds against the building, and when not in use is concealedfrom sight by a box, case, or cover, which may be of or- Each of thesecases, which may be .Of ornamental configuration on its exterior, ismade up of a front, a, and-sides 12, secured above by a hasp orfastening, c, and hinged below to a bottom, I), which is jointed orhinged in the rear to the Wall of the building, so that on unclaspingthe hasp c the case is thrown open against the wall and the ladder orladder-see tion left free to drop into working position. Each ladder orladder-section G is secured by hooks or eyebolts 6 under onewindow-sill, and when extended may be held or fastened below by hooksfto the window-sill beneath or to a bar, 5/, on the window-sill. Saidladders are each composed of a series of iron rounds, h, constructed tolie close one upon the other when the ladder is closed, and united attheir ends with one another by flat side pieces, 2' i, which are unitedby ajoint, It, attheir ends to the rounds they respectively connect, andhave a knuckle or knee-joint, l, intermediately of their length toprovide for their flexingin ward and closing against the roundsthroughout their length when the ladder is closed, as partly shown inFig. 2 and shown in Fig. 4. The

joints 70 not only serve as a means of attach-' ment for the ends of theside pieces, z' 2', but also as guides for them in closing, and for thispurpose the ends of said side pieces, '5 i, are formed with tongues m,which enter recesses n in the rounds in close proximity to the pivotpinsof the joints; or said side pieces may be formed-with out-side lips onopposite sides of their ends to receive the rounds within them, thusalso forming guides, as in the case of the tongues m. This latterconstruction is preferred when the roundsare made of tubes. The backs ofthe rounds may have pins or projections on them to keep the ladder clearof the wall or copings thereon when extended, and so that room will beprovided for a person in descending to place the front portion of hisfeet on the rounds. The joints 1 of the side pieces, i -i, may beordinary hinge, knuckle, or kneejoints, flexing inward when the ladderis extended; but it is preferred to form each side piece, which iscomposed of two equal sections, with the extremity of one of saidsections of a T shape and the extremity of the other section with aT-shaped recess, into which the T- shaped portion of the first-namedsection is fitted, as shown more clearly in Figs. 5 and 6. This mode ofconstructing the joint I insures its flexing inward whenever it isdesired to fold up the ladder.

I astened to the lower round, h, of each ladder (J is a strap, 1), ofleather or other suitahle material. This strap passes freely throughslots in the other rounds, and serves as a means of closing the ladderby pulling on the upper end of itand securing it, if desired, byhitching it onto a pin in the wall or in the case B, said strap beingsuitably perforated for the purpose. The ladder is dropped round byround in succession, as the jointed sides '1? i straighten themselvesout, by simply releasing the strap 1) from its fastening to the wall orbox.

In the case of fire it is only necessary to unclasp the hasp c, whichmay be done by the foot, when the box B will open against the wall, andthe ladder O is free to drop or open and unfold by simply releasing thestrap 1) from the pin in the wall or box, or it may be released by thebox B in opening. Such ladder, when not sui'lieiently long to reach theground, may then be secured byitslower hooks,

1'', to the window-sill beneath or to the bar 1 thereon. The next ladderor ladder-section of the window beneath may then be similarly dropped,and so on for any number of ladder- V sections in succession, as onestory after another is reached, till a continuous ladder is formed whichreaches to the ground or pavement.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the middle slotted rounds,I), connected by flexible sides, ot'the fastening-strap D, made fast tothe lowest round ofthe ladder, passing through slots ot'the otherrounds, and adapted to be fastened at the upper end to a pin, asdescribed.

2. The combination, with the rounds 7:, of the side pieces, 5 '17,constructed intermediately of their length to ilex inward, and united attheir outer ends to the rounds by joints l.:, and provided at saidjoints by tongues m and recesses a, substantially as specified.

EIJBRIDGE J. MOORE.

Witnesses:

(J. SEDGWICK, JOHN A. FOLEY.

